Chemical vapor infiltration and deposition (CVI/CVD) is a known process for making composite structures such as carbon/carbon brake disks. The CVI/CVD process typically used for making carbon/carbon brake disks is sometimes referred to as “conventional” or “isothermal” CVI/CVD. This process involves passing a reactant gas or gas mixture (e.g., methane, propane, etc.) around heated porous structures (e.g., carbonized preforms) at absolute pressures as low as a few millitorr. The gas diffuses into the porous structures, driven by concentration gradients, and undergoes a CVD reaction such as thermal decomposition, hydrogen reduction, co-reduction, oxidation, carbidization, or nitridation to deposit a binding matrix.
Depending on CVI/CVD methodology and conditions, the porous structure may not densify at a uniform rate across the thickness of a porous structure. Thus, creation of uniformly densified porous structures may be impaired. Thus, systems and methods for improved densification efficacy and/or efficiency are desirable.